Learning to be Humble, Patient & Grateful

Hey Mom!

Thanks for all the pictures! Everyone looks so happy and stuff! I love seeing pictures. Sorry I don't take more pictures. I'll be better at it! haha I think I've been saying that for about a year now. I really will though. We were planning on going sight seeing today but the weather is looking a bit rainy so we might end up doing it next week. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures, though. 

Michaela says this LDS church building is the largest LDS church in Taiwan

This week was pretty good. Tuesday I went on exchanges with Sister Anderson. It was muuuuch needed. I love her so much! We stayed up way too late talking (oops). It was good though. 

We still haven't found any new investigators. It's starting to get a little humorous, going so long without finding a single new investigator. It's got to be a record or something haha. I'm working my tail off, though. So I know its not a lack of work, diligence or obedience. Heavenly Father probably just wants me to learn how to be humble, patient, and grateful. I set a goal of the kind of person I want to become, its all of the characteristics listed in Alma 7:23-24. I'll get there, one day. 

Wanna hear a funny story? Ok, so..thursday? Yeah, thursday morning we are walking out to our bikes and I start to tell Zhou JM how much I just love my bike. I told her that my bike is like my best friend, that it has been so good to me, it hasn't ever given me big problems and it rides nicely and on and on. We ride out of our apartment complex and about hmmm...1 min later I hear a big POP. I look down to see if there was a rock in my tire thing place...where all the little metal things are. That's what it sounded like. But there wasn't, so I just shrugged my shoulders and kept riding. We were riding out to Hemei, which is about 30 min bike ride. Well, maybe 10 min in to the ride I notice that it's getting harder and harder to pedal. So I pull over and guess what! That big POP noise was my tire...it had no air. At all. This has happened a couple of times before, it's a pretty easy fix and you can still ride your bike til you find a shop to fix it. So I keep riding. But guess what, the inner tire that holds the air started coming out! haha. oh man. So we had to walk for FOREVER because we were in the middle of nowhere. It was ok though because there are lots of rice fields out there, it was really sunny and we just sang some hymns while we walked. So we finally find a bike shop and he fixes my tire but guess what, my brakes need to be switched, too! They were worn all the way down. haha...oh man. It was pretty expensive. We left the bike shop and Zhou JM laughs saying, so much for your bike not giving you any big problems. haha! I still love my bike, though :)

Michaela's bike-her best friend

That night we went to the bishops house to eat dinner with his family and a bunch of other members from our ward. I was chatting with the bishops wife while she was preparing some of the food and told her about my bike experience. As we were leaving after dinner and our spiritual share, she gave me a hug and then plopped a red envelope in my hands. Red envelopes in Taiwan mean you're getting money given to you. She wanted to give me the money that I spent on my bike. I was really touched. I didn't accept it of course (we have a rule, we aren't allowed to accept money), but I was really touched that she was so generous. The people here are so giving and wonderful and I just love them to death.

Hmm..what else. Oh, one day Sister Zhou and I were doing a finding activity. I prayed to know where we should go to find a new investigator. I started riding my bike and followed promptings from the spirit. I was getting nervous because I was being led to a place where there was absolutely NO ONE. The thing about Taiwan is that there are people EVERYWHERE. But I turned down road after road and there were less and less people. I kept thinking to myself why in the world am I coming here?? Then we stopped. I walked up to a house and knocked on the door. An 18 year old girl answered and we taught her about Heavenly Father and prayer and baptism. She said we could come back. She wasn't willing to tell me what her name was or what her phone number is, but we wrote down her address and will go back this week. That was pretty cool. 

View from Michaela's 12th story apartment

Michaela and her companion with ???

Well, that's probably about all for this week. I think it's interesting that you said in the picture you saw you thought I looked confident and content. Sister Anderson said that I have developed a...resilience? That I am just like, strong and more content with myself.That I won't let people take advantage or push me around, but am still my same sweet self. I would say that's probably true. I'm so thankful for all that I'm able to learn while serving the Lord. This is the hardest, most tiring, happiest best thing I've ever done. I love being a missionary. 

Have a great week, mom! I love you so so much!

Sister Fuller